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Attention "Single File(R)" Editors: The Following Column Was Previously Released In 2017. Thank You. - Creators
ATTENTION "SINGLE FILE(R)" EDITORS: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2017. THANK YOU. - CREATORS
Agree or Disagree? (Part 2)
Here's the second part of this quiz. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
--Everyone desirable is already taken.
--Marriage and children are the ultimate fulfillment for every woman.
...Read more
Ask Dating Coach Erika: How long does it take to get over a breakup?
As Neil Sedaka so beautifully and succinctly put it (in both boppy and ballad form… I personally prefer the latter!), breaking up is hard to do. Today, we have four questions, all revolving around breakups. They’re never easy, but with time, patience, and perspective, they can be manageable.
Q: How long does it take to get over a breakup?
...Read more
Ask Anna: She asked her friend to DM me to see if I'd cheat
Dear Anna,
I’ve been with my girlfriend for about a year. Things have been great overall. But lately she’s become fixated on one of her close friends, not in a romantic way — more in a spiral of comparison. Her friend is pretty, but so is my girlfriend, except when she makes self-deprecating comments about how she “could never compete�...Read more
Asking Eric: Neighbor is putting himself in grave danger but won’t change
Dear Eric: I have a huge dilemma literally right across from our home. Our neighbor is a very nice man. Sometimes I do ask him what he’s going to do with all of his stuff in his yard. He just says he’ll keep it. He is a hoarder.
What I see is boxes and boxes stacked all along his driveway, down to his backyard, leaving a very narrow pathway...Read more
Parent Wishes To Discipline Son More Calmly
DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like my 8-year-old son doesn't listen to me unless I raise my voice. I hate that yelling has become our norm. It leaves me feeling frustrated and guilty, and I know it's probably affecting him too. Small things like getting dressed, brushing teeth or cleaning up toys can turn into a major confrontation, and I end up ...Read more
Unattended Purses Make Shopper Nervous
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I've witnessed many women leaving their purses unattended in the toddler seat of grocery carts. They will turn their back to the cart to look for an item nearby, usually for less than a minute.
However, a couple weeks ago, I turned into an aisle at the grocery store and there was a cart at the other end of the aisle with a ...Read more
Family Ties After the Breakup
Dear Annie: My granddaughter dated a young man for four years before breaking things off about a year ago. During that time, he became part of our family in many ways. Even after the breakup, he continued coming to church with us every Sunday. In fact, we've grown closer in the past year, sharing pews, Sunday lunches and family stories. My ...Read more
Lie Told Years Ago Remains A Barrier To Full Trust
DEAR ABBY: I met this guy at work and fell in love. We started going out, and he asked me to be his girlfriend. We moved in together pretty quickly, and I got pregnant. Three months later, I saw a text on his phone from a female co-worker. The first message said, "This is 'Brianne'" and the second was work-related.
Everyone in the facility had ...Read more
Asking Eric: Wife struggles to keep holiday special after husband’s dementia diagnosis
Dear Eric: My husband has dementia; it’s getting worse by the month. I am the caregiver. Our daughter calls on her way home from work. Our son calls several times a week. They have been my rock. I lean on them and rely on their excellent advice and strong shoulders.
Our 55th wedding anniversary is several days before Christmas. Because of the...Read more
Dating App Match Leads To Workplace Tension
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently matched with someone on a dating app, and after chatting for a bit, we realized we work at the same company. It's a huge organization, so we had never crossed paths before -- until, of course, we suddenly started running into each other in the office after matching. We never acknowledged it directly, and since then, ...Read more
Wish List Takes Fun Out Of Choosing Gifts
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Each year, Halloween heralds my own personal horror: the season during which my family harasses me to provide them with a list of items that I would like for Christmas.
I abhor this annual ritual. To me, the value in receiving gifts is the knowledge that the giver took the time and effort to think about what I might really ...Read more
Smoke Signals at Work
Dear Annie: I recently started a new job that I genuinely like. The people are friendly (mostly), the work is interesting and I finally feel like I may have found a place where I can stay for the long haul. But there is just one problem, and it is a big one.
The woman who sits at the reception desk smokes like a chimney, and the smell does ...Read more
Sister Opts To Torch The Memories Of Late Parents
DEAR ABBY: My sister has always been a liar and a manipulator. She has lost jobs because of her toxic behavior. Our parents passed away 20 years ago, and ever since, she has trashed their memory to anyone who will listen. She claims she was unwanted because she was female, that my parents refused to name her and wouldn't take her home from the ...Read more
Asking Eric: After family death, bereaved kept the card but returned the cash
Dear Eric: My cousin recently passed away after a long hospitalization. We were very close. I sent a sympathy card with money to the family, but I was sent the money back. I have never heard of this happening in my life. What do you make of this?
I talked to other family members, and their money wasn’t returned to them. I’ve sent out a ...Read more
Social Media Likes Make Partner Nervous
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently noticed that my partner still follows his ex on social media, and not only that, but he still likes most of her posts. They've been broken up for two years, and from what I know, she was the one who ended things. It's not like he's leaving flirty comments or anything inappropriate, but I can't help but feel uneasy ...Read more
Conversation Should Be A Two-Way Street
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am always looking to meet new people and make new friends. But for the last five years or so, I have noticed that people only want to talk about themselves -- their travels, home renovations, work, etc.
I understand that the favorite topic of conversation for most people is themselves, but what happened to a two-way ...Read more
Fatherhood, Undone
Dear Annie: A few months ago, my life took a turn I never expected. After noticing changes in my wife's behavior such as late nights at work, a phone that suddenly never left her side and an emotional distance that grew by the week, I followed my gut. Against every instinct that told me not to, I hired a private investigator. What he uncovered...Read more
Teen's Change Of Surname Aggravates Her Grandparents
DEAR ABBY: Our granddaughter, "Amy," who shows in 4-H, decided to take her stepdad's last name when appearing at the fair. Our son, her father, is a big part of her life. This is the second year in a row she has done this, and it hurts me and my husband deeply. Her mother, stepdad and his family think it's great. Our son has no backbone and won'...Read more
Milllennial Life: The Power of the Reply
Lately, I've been arguing with campaign texts. They all start the same way: Here is the outrage of the day, and also, there's a tight deadline for funding for which your five bucks will make all the difference. I had been deleting them, but on a particularly emotionally frothy day, I replied to one. I wrote, "Tell me a vision of how your ...Read more
Asking Eric: Friendship disrupted by house full of security cameras
Dear Eric: I’m worried I’ll lose my longtime friendship. I met S several years ago when we lived closer to each other. She probably is the closest friend I’ve ever had. Her husband, T, sometimes joined us, but mostly it was S and me.
About three years ago, I moved several states away from S. Of course, I miss our friendship. When I have ...Read more
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